Sewing machine



Aug. 3, 1948. G. SAUER 2,446,30

SEWING MACHINE Filed 001:. 31 1944 s Sheets- Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS G. SAUERSEWING MACHINE Aug. 3, 1948.

5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed 001;. 31, 1944 INVENTOR. 62 0565 JAVA-7? H, cvwaL Aug. 3, 1948.

Filed Oct. 31, 1944 G; SAUER SEWING MACHINE 5 Sheets-Sheet I5 INVENTOR.650/7614 Saar? 1948. G. SAU ER 2,44,30

SEWING MACHINE Filed Oct. 31, 1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. vfia-6205? ATTQEJVEYS 3, 9 A QSAUEF'Q 2,446,306 SEWING MACHINE Filed Oct. 31,1944 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Aug. 3, 1948 SEWING MACHINE George Sauer,Berwyn, Ill.,. assignor to Union Special Machine Company, Chicago, 111.,a corporation of Illinois Application October 31, 1944, Serial No.561,182

' This invention relates to sewing machines and, more particularly, tonew and improved devices or apparatus associated or combined therewithfor insuring proper and adequate lubrication of the moving parts of thesewing machine mechanism. More particularly, it relates to new andimproved devices incorporated in or associated or combined with thesewing machine'for insuring adequate lubrication'of the work arm andmechanism positioned therein, as well as actuating mechanism new andimproved instrumentalities or devices for insuring thorough lubricationof the work arm mechanism and its associated moving parts by supplyingthe moving mechanism with a lubricant directly conveyed thereto from areservoir located in the frame of the machine, which reservoir may becontinuously or intermittently supplied with oil or other lubricatingfluid, preferably without conscious efiort on the part of the operator.The reservoir from which, in accordance with this invention, oil isconveyed through suitably disposed conduits to the operating mechanismin the work arm, may suitably be one of the reservoirs shown, forexample, in the copending application of Clarence C. Smith, Serial No.541,902, filed June 24, 1944, now matured into Patent No. 2,430,370,dated November 4, 1947,

Oneof the objects of this invention is, therefore, to provide for directand assured movement of oil or other lubricating fluid from a centralreservoir to the moving parts in the sewing machine work arm, therebyeliminating hit-or-miss lubrication of these moving parts as in thesplash lubrication methods now commonly employed.

It is another object of this invention to-provide a separate oil sumpand pumping means by which oil or other lubricant may be withdrawn froma sump and conveyed to a central reservoir located in the frame of themachine, from which central reservoir it may be supplied by gravity flowthrough suitably positioned conduits to those points within the sewingmachine at which it will provide adequate lubrication of the mechanismpositioned in the work arm thereof and its actuating mechanism.

A further object, in line with the foregoing, is

Claims. (01. 112--25.6)

to provide for the adequate delivery of lubricant to the mechanismsindicated without subjecting the lubricant to excessive working.

The foregoing objects, features, and advantages of the invention, aswell as others which will be hereinafter set forth, may be more fullyappreciated by reference to the ensuing disclosure of certain preferredand illustrative embodiments thereof, keeping in mind that these areintended to be illustrative and not restrictive. The invention may bereadily understood from the detailed description which will now be givenconnection with the annexed drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a rear elevation of the sewing ma:- chine, certain parts beingbroken away for clearness of illustration;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a sewing machine to which the inventionhas been applied, portions thereof being broken away, and only a part ofthe oil conduit supplying the work arm mechanism being shown, forclearness of illustration;

Fig. 3 is a partial plan view of the sewing machine taken at theright-hand end of Fig; 2, certain cover plates being broken away forclearness of illustration;

Fig. 4: is a view in vertical section of the sewing machine work arm,certain of the associated mechanism contained therein being shown inelevation, this view also showing, somewhat schematically, one of theoil reservoirs in the upper part of the sewing machine frameandoiliconduits associated therewith;

Fig. 5 is a top plan view of the work arm, certain cover plates beingremoved in order to show the mechanism contained therein;

Fig. 6 is atopview of the work arm cover plate;

Fig. 7 is an elevational view of the work. arm cover plate;

Fig. 8 is a top view of the oil-distributing plate associated with thework arm beneath the cover plate, adapted to provide lubricant to themoving parts contained within the work arm; andv Fig. 9 is a side viewof the oil-distributing plate shown in Fig. 8'.

For purposes of illustration the invention has been shown as applied toa feed-oif-the-armm-achine of the type disclosed in Christensen, et al.Patent No. 1,741,095. Reference may be made to that patent for a fullerdisclosure of certain features of construction and operation notessential to an understanding of this invention which are set forth indetail therein. Certain other features of operation and construction,not given in detail herein, will be found in the Christensen patentapplication, Serial No. 465,947, filed November 18, 1942, now maturedinto Patent No. 2,372,175, dated March 27, 1945. For a fuller disclosureof the oil pumping system and mechanism associated therewith forconveying the lubricant from sumps to reservoirs positioned in the frameof the machine, reference may be made to the above mentioned patentapplication of Clarence C. Smith.

Referring to the drawings, the sewing machine includes frame H which maybe constructed as shown in the Christensen et a]. Patent No. 1,741,-095. This frame includes downwardly extending hollow portion I2 and worksupporting arm 13. Power is supplied to the machine through a combinedhand wheel and pulley l4, secured to a main drive shaft l5, extendinlongitudinally of the upper portion of the frame. The power deliveredmay be supplied by an electric transmitter (not shown), including anelectric motor, an associated clutch, and other necessary mechanism. Itmay be of any known construction such as that shown, for example, in thecopending application of LeVesconte and Schweda, Serial No. 449,196,filed June 30, 1942, now matured into Patent No. 2,390,220, datedDecember 4, 1945, which construction is also illustrated in saidcopending application of Clarence 'C. Smith. The construction mayinclude. foot treadle I6 adapted, upon rocking, both to start and stopthe operation of the sewing machine and to cause the pumping of oil fromthe main oil sumps to reservoirs at an upper level for distribution tothe moving parts of the machine, all as more fully set forth in saidcopending application of Clarence C. Smith.

Presser bar l8, carrying at its lower end presser foot 19 (Fig. 2),which may be of any suitable form, is mounted for vertical reciprocationin the needle head in a manner well known in the sewing machine art. Thepresser bar I8 is urged downwardly by means of a spring arrangement 26of any suitable form. Needles 2! are carried by needle bar 22mounted'for vertical reciprocation in the needle head in a manner wellknown in the sewing machine art. 1

Adjacent the presser bar [8 and presser foot 19 there is provided threadcontroller mechanism, including C-shaped link 23 attached to the lowerend of a vertically slidingrod 24 mounted in suitable bearings 25carried by the end cover plate 21 of the needle head. The lower end oflink 23 is connected with the forward section of the presser foot H),which is of tandem construction. At its upper end the rod 24 carriesforked member 28, the forked free end of which is adapted to straddleand slide along the presser bar 18, thus preventin rotation of the rod24. Intermediate the ends of the rod 24 there is secured a block 29having a laterally projecting portion'wh'ich is in operative connectionwith certain thread-guiding and controlling means (not shown) Thismechanism, including C-shaped link 23, operates as a thread controllervarying the amount of needle thread available for the stitch-formingoperation. The construction and operation of this mechanism, as well asthat of the presser foot, need not be described in further detail here.For description in detail of the thread controller and its mode ofoperation, see the copending applica tion of Christensen, Serial No.513,336, filed December 8, 1943, now matured into Patent No. 2,434,608,dated January 13, 1948. (This mechanism cooperates with feed dog 31 andloopers 42 to form stitches, as more fully described in other describedbelow, serves to axially reciprocate rock shaft 36 which carries at itsouter end one or more loopers 42 (Fig. 5). These loopers are thus giventheir needle avoid movement. The end of shaft I5 also carries ball stud39 cooperating with a -;pitman or compound link 40, the lower end ofwhich is connected with rock shaft 36 by means of a crank arm 4!. Rockshaft 36 is thus oscillated, thereby imparting loop-taking and sheddinmovements to the loopers 42. This mechanism'need not be described indetail here since it will be found fully described in Kucera PatentsNos. 2,172,321 and 2,199,666.

. The improved lubricating system, as described in the copendingapplication of Clarence C. Smith. Seria1 No. 541,902, includes adouble-acting fourvalve reciprocating pump 44 (Fig. 1), suitablymounted, as by means of screws, upon a portion of the frame. ll of themachine. The pump 44 has a plurality of inlets, one of which isconnected by pipe or tube 45 with the main sump. 46 (Figs: 1 and 4)provided in the frame ll of the sewing machine. As shown, a strainer orfilter 41 may be provided at the lower end of the tube 45 in order. toinsure the circulation of only clean oil.. The-other inlet of the pump44 is connected by conduit 48 with a similar sump (not shown) which isin the rear of the needle head portion of theframe ll.

One outlet of the pump 44 is connected by tube 49 with dome 50,preferably formed of plastic or other transparent material, while asecond outlet 5| is connected with a second transparent dome 52. Each ofthese domes may be constructed as shown in said copending application ofClarence C. Smith,--Serial No. 541,902. Dome 50 is positioned directlyabove reservoir 53a suitably mounted upon the frame H beneath coverplate 53 (Fig. 2), which is also secured, by screws or otherwisato themachine frame.

Referring particularly to Fig. 1, the piston (not shown) of pump 44 iscarried at the inner end of a rod 54 having its outer end connected bylink 55 with the elbow of L-shaped lever 56. This lever is pivotallyconnected at 51 with the frame of the machine. The arm 58 of lever 56projects beyond the pulley l4 and has its outer end connected by a chain59 or other suitable means with the foot treadle IS. The arrangement issuch that when the treadle is depressed to cause the sewing machine tooperate, as more fully described in said copending application ofClarence C. Smith, the rod 54 carrying the reciprocable piston of thepump 44 will be shifted toward the left (Fig. 1) against the action ofspring 60. The latter is compressed between the enlarged head 6| at theend of the rod 54 and a combined bushing and stufiing box 62, which isthreaded into the pump 44 in such a manner as to provide a substantiallyoil-tight sliding fit with the rod 54. By back and forth movement of thepiston (not shown) in the pump 44 oil, or other lubricant, is withdrawnalternately from the two sumps, (only one of which, 46, is shown), andsupplied through conduits 4'9 and 5I todomes 50 and '52. From the dome50 the'oil or other lubricant finds its way through ports 64 in covermember 53 into the reservoir 53a, when it is distributed, as more fullydescribed below, to the parts which are to be lubricated. Reservoir 53ais supported from cross member 66 of the frame II, which also serves asa support for bushing 61 surrounding the main drive shaft I5.

A downwardly extending portion 50 of the reservoir 53a, fitting into anopening 69 in the cross member 66, is provided with an aperture Ithrough which oil or lubricant passes from the reservoir 53a tobushings! for the purpose of lubricating the main drive shaft I in thathearing. As shown, the aperture I0 may terminate in a packing or wickingI I, in order to retain the oil, and deliver it, as needed, to the shaftjournal in bushing 61. I

The reservoir 53a is further provided with downwardly extending oi-lpipes 13, I4, and I5, which are wick-filled, and which are locatedadjaeent the upper ends of the pitmans'3I, 35, and 40, respectively,thus supplying oil for lubricating the bearing surfaces of the eccentricmembers 30 and 34 and ball stud 39, as more fully de scribed in saidcopending application of Clarence C; Smith. Reservoir 53a. is furtherprovided with a notch 16' at its upper edge which serves as an overflow,waste lubricant thus finding its way back to the sump 4B. A fourthlubricant tube I8, (Figs. 3 and 4), extends downwardly to supplylubricant to the mechanism in the work arm I3.

' Figs. 4 and 5 show the work arm and contained stitch-forminginstrumentalities, which includes the feed dog 31' and the associatedmechanism which, in accordance with this invention, is lubricated fromthe central reservoir 53a. by means of oil distribution tube I0 andconduits in communi-. cation therewith as described below. This mechanism, and its mode of operation, are more fully described in KuceraPatents Nos. 2,172,321 and 2,199,666.

As more fully described in Kucera Patent No. 2,199,666, the feed bar ofthe sewing machine, designated by the numeral 32, lies horizontally overthe looper rock shaft 36 within the hollow of the work supporting armI3, and is supported at an intermediate point immediately inward of thebearing 19 for rock shaft 3 6 by a pair of links 83. At their lower endsthese links 83 are pivotally connected to the front end of a lever 84which is fulcrumed on a shaft 85 extending. transversely of the worksupporting arm with its ends in fixed bosses 86 at opposite sides ofsaid arm (Fig. 5). At its rear end the lever has a ball connection 81with the pitman 3I, the upper end. of which, carrying eccentric 30, isshown in Fig. 2. By the means thus described rise and fall movements areimparted to the feed bar 32 and this motion transmitted to the feed. dog31, which is operatively connected by means which need not here bedescribed but which is fully shown and described in said Kucera PatentNo. 2,199,666.

Feed bar 32 also receives horizontal to and fro or feed movements byvirtue of the connection of its rear end to a rocker 88 mounted foroscillationabout another transverse shaft 89 whereof the ends aresuitably journal-led in bosses 90 at the sides of the work supportingarm. The rocker 83 depends for its actuation upon a rocker -9I, to anupwardly extending arm 92 of which it is connected by a pitman 93. Asshown, the rocker arm 92. has an arcuate slot 95- concentric with the"front pivot. 96 of the pitman 93 along which slot the rear pivot 97 ofsaid pitman can be shifted to adjust the feed movement of 'th'efeed bar32 and, in turn, the length of the stitch produced by the machine. 1

The rock shaft 36 is oscillated as aconsequence of the connection of thecrank arm M (Fig. 2) at its rear end with pitman 40, the upper end ofwhich, including associated ball stud 39, is shown in Fig. 2. Rock shaft36 is also reciprocated endwise in bearings I9 and H6 by the mechanism,described below. Thus, there is imparted the necessary loop-taking andshedding movements and needle-avoid movements to loopers 42 (Fig. 5),which are located adjacent feed dog 31 and are operatively connected tothe rock shaft 36 by means fully described in said Kucera patents.

The rock shaft 36 is reciprocated endwi'se in bearings I9 and H6 bymovement imparted to it from rocker 9i through a pitman ml which has aball pivot connection I02 at one end with said shaft and a similarconnection I03 at its other end with a pendant arm I04 of said rocker9I. The rocker Si is mounted for oscillation about'a transverse shaftI06 the ends of which are fixed by set screws (not shown) in bosses I01located at opposite sides of the work supporting arm of the machineframe (Fig. 5'). The rocker arm I04 has a longitudinal slot I00alongwhich the ball pivot I03 can be shifted to'adjust the axial throwof the rock shaft 36. The rocker 9| is actuated from eccentric 34 onmain drive shaft I5 (Fig. 2) by means of pitman or link 35 which has aball pivot connection I09 with a horizontal arm III] (Figs. 4 and 5) ofthe rocker 9 I.

As shown in Fig. 4, the tube or conduit I3 for lubricant extendsdownwardly from reservoir 53a and terminates adjacent a collectingtrough II2 formed in the side wall of the depending portion I2 of theframe I I. A lubricant passage II3 extends downwardly from trough I I2and communicates with a downwardly extending oil passage II 4 formed inthe work arm I3 and terminating at the bearing bushing I I6 of. rockshaft 36. Oil for lubricating purposes is thus supplied to bearing H6.Intermediate the ends of oil passage II I there is a laterally extendingoil hole II'I having located therein a short piece of tubing II8 whichprojects into an oil distributing cavity I20 formed in the depressedarea of an oil distributing plate I2I' (Figs. 8 and 9) which underlies awork arm cover plate I22 (Figs. 6 and 7). Oil distributing plate I2 I,together with the cover plate I22, is secured to the work arm by meansof a series of screws or the like cooperating with aligned threadedopenings I23.

Oil delivered into cavity I20 is conducted through holes in the bottomof the cavity by wicks formed of loops of yarn threaded through saidholes, the wicks being so disposed as to be wiped by the part in workarm I3 to be lubricated during operation of the sewing machine. Thus,one length of yarn I25 is formed into a loop I26 to lubricate the frontpivot 96 of the feed stroke pitman 93' through the oil hole I21 in thepitman (Fig. 5). The yarn I25 also extends through another hole in theplate I2I as a loop I29 which delivers oil through the oil hole I30 tothe rocker 88 which imparts to and fro motion to the feed bar 32. So,also, the yarn I25 passes through a, third hole in the plate I2I as aloop I3I, the lower end of which delivers on to the fulcrum bearing forthe feed lift lever 84 through oil hole I3I'a. Loop I3I of the yarn I25is further engaged inter-'- mediate its ends'by a wick I 32'secured'tothe side 7 of the feed bar 32 by rings I32a, which wickdelivers oil picked up from the loop I3I to the bearing points I33 and I34 of the links 83.

A second length of yarn I35 is formed into a loop I36 which delivers oilto the rear bearing of feed bar 32 through the oil hole I38 (Fig. Thisyarn is also formed into a loop I39 which extends down to the fulcrum 85of feed lift-lever 84, supplying oil thereto through oil hole I40.Beyond this the yarn I35 is formed into a loop I4I which engages thedepending end I42 of a loop of yarn I43 disposed in a groove formed in atransversely extending member of the work arm I3, thus supplying oil tothe bearing I9 for rock shaft I 36 through the oil hole I44.

Excess oil escapes from the cavity I20 through overflow holes I44a(Figs. 4 and 8), and finds its way into the sump 46 in the work arm I3.-

Some of the surplus oil supplied to the eccentric members 30 and 34 onthemain shaft I 5 will flow down their respective pitmans and lubricatethe joints at the lower ends thereof. Other surplus oil thrown off bythe eccentrics will descend along the side Walls of the frame I I andwill encounter deflector I45 (Figs. 4 and 5), which will direct the oilto points requiring lubrication in a manner disclosed in the patent toRubel et' al., No. 1,812,377. It is thus evident that all pointsrequiring lubrication in the work arm and the actuating means thereforare assured of constant lubrication, and are effectively sealed againstthe entrance of dust, lint, or other contaminating substances.

While an illustrative form of the invention has been disclosed inconsiderable detail, it should be understood that numerous changes maybe made in the construction and arrangement of the various parts withoutdeparting from the, general principles and scope of the invention. Forexample, while the lubricating system for lubricating the mechanism inthe work arm of a sewing machine and actuating means for that mechanismis adapted for use in connection with a sewing machine of the typeillustrated, its principles are equally applicable to other types ofmachine, and to machines having other types of supporting structures.

' I claim: v

1. In a sewing machine having a frame with a freely extending work armof limited cross-section provide with a removable cover andstitchforming mechanism positioned in said work arm, means forlubricating said stitch-forming mechanism, said lubricating meansincluding a reservoir in the frame of said sewing machine which issupplied with lubricant, conduit means for conveying said lubricant tothe top of said work arm, and means, including a thin, removable plateat the top of the work arm directly beneath said removable cover andretained in position by the securement thereof, said thi plate formingwith said cover plate a shallow, wide, distributing reservoir and beingprovided with a plurality of yarn elements adapted to deliver lubricantby wick action, for conveying lubricant from the top of said work arm toa plurality of points on the moving parts requiring lubricationpositioned in said work arm.

2. A sewing machine comprising a frame having a free ended work arm ofthe cylinder type; a removable-cover for said work arm; a main driveshaft; a feed dog and loopers in said work arm; a rock shaft positionedin said work arm and having both reciprocating motion and oscillatorymotion and serving to operate said loope-rs;

a feed bar positioned in said work arm and having both rise and fallmovement and reciprocatory movement and serving-to actuate said feeddog; a lever positioned in said work arm for imparting rise and fallmovement to said feed bar: a plurality of bearings for said rock shaft,said feed bar, and said lever, all of said bearings being located insaid work arm; means for actuating said rock shaft, said feed bar, andsaid lever from said main drive shaft of said sewing machine; and meansfor supplying lubricant from a central reservoir positioned in the frameof said sewing machine directly to said bearings; said lubricating meansincluding conduit means positioned in the frame of said sewing machine,a thin, readily removable lubricant distributing plate located inthe-top of said work arm beneath said cover and separate therefromproviding a broad, shallow reservoir, said lubricant distributing platebeing in communication with said conduit means and bein arranged to beretained in position by the securement of said removable cover, andmeans for supplying lubricant from said lubricant distributing plate tosaid plurality of bearings.

3. In a sewing machine including a frame having a free ended work armproviding an enclosed chamber; a feed dog; loopers; a main drive shaft;

2. rock shaft partly within said chamber in said work arm havingbothreciprocating and oscillating motion, and serving to actuate saidloopers; a feed bar partly within said chamber having 'both rise andfall motion and reciDrocatory motion and serving to actuate said feeddog; a lever within said chamber for imparting rise and fall motion tosaid feed bar; bearings positioned in said work arm for said rock shaft,said feed bar, and said lever; means for actuating said rock shaft, saidfeed bar, and said lever, from said main drive shaft of the sewingmachine; and means for lubricating said bearings; said lubricating meansincluding an elevated reservoir for lubricant positioned in said frameof said sewing machine, a thin, readily removable distributor platepositioned in said work arm and provided with a shallow distributingreservoir extending horizontally over a substantial area, conduit meansfor conveying lubricant from said elevated reservoir to said reservoirin the distributor plate, means for supplying lubricant from saiddistributor plate to said bearings to be lubricated, and means forreturning excess lubricant to said elevated reservoir, said lastmentioned means comprising overflow means of relatively largecrosssection communicating between the reservoir in said plate and saidchamber at a point remote from said conduit means.

4. In a sewing machine having a frame with a laterally extending, freeended work aim having a removable cover plate, work feeding andstitch-forming devices mounted in said work arm, operating means forsaid devices including a main drive shaft and connections therefrom tosaid devices including movable members havin bearing surfaces at widelyspaced points in said work arm, and means for lubricating the bearingsurfaces of said movable members comprising a sump in said Work arm, anelevated reservoir in said frame above said work arm, means fortransferring lubricant from said sump to said reservoir only as anincident to each starting of each seam forming operation of said maindrive shaft, means including a thin, readily removable gasket-like plateat the top of said work arm beneath said cover plate and forming areservoir therewith for delivering lubricant from said elevatedreservoir" to said bearing surfaces, and common means for securing saidplates to said work arm.

5. In a sewing machine having a frame with a laterally extending, freeended work arm provided with a removable cover plate, work feeding andstitch-forming devices mounted in said work arm, operating means forsaid devices including a main drive shaft and connections therefrom tosaid devices including movable members having bearing surfaces at widelyspaced points in said work arm, and means for lubricating the bearingsurfaces of said movable members comprising a sump in said Work arm, areservoir in said frame above said work arm, means for transferringlubricant from said sump to said reservoir as an incident to thestarting, of the operation of said main drive shaft, lubricantdistributing means comprising a removable, shallow distributingreservoir in the top of said work arm substantially coextensive withsaid cover plate and retained in position by the securement thereof,means for deliverin lubricant from said first mentioned REFERENCES CITEDThe following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,774,149 Mitchell Aug. 26, 19301,936,372 Waterman Nov. 21, 1933 2,199,666 Kucera May '7, 1940 2,248,508Myers July 8, 1941 2,300,826 Brussell Nov. 3, 1942 2,345,992 Sauer Apr.4, 1944

